I am all for this. I bought a meta watch since the pebbles weren't out yet. It's a little weird at first but I find it very useful, especially at work. I can glance at my wrist and gauge from there whether or not that particular notification demands immediate attention or not. The watch battery lasts several days and the impact on the iPhone battery is minimal.

I am a Pebble backer and regret it. If i were to gift this watch the person has every right to think i bought it at a 99 cent store. How is the quality of the Metawatch and Its functionality? Thanks.

You're all missing the bigger picture: we're about to enter the post-tablet era. iPads, iPad Minis, and even iPhones are too big and heavy for extended use, but they're all we have at the moment. Imagine doing everything you now do on an iPad, but on an ultraRetina iWatch! Anyone who protests that the screen would be too small needs to get their eyes checked, or else buy a pair of magnifying glasses. As for typing on the tiny virtual keyboard, we'll all learn to grow out our nails and file them to points. Remember, you read it here first, so bookmark this post.

Was anyone here a fan of the SPOT watches that were out about 10 years ago? They used MSN Direct service to push news, sports, weather, stocks, etc. to your wrist. I had a couple & thought they were pretty neat.

Sounds interesting, but I don't think it would be something I'd buy, at least based on what we know right now. If it worked like Michael Knight's watch in Knight Rider whereby I could call and talk to my car to come get me, then I might be interested.

I am a Pebble backer and regret it. If i were to gift this watch the person has every right to think i bought it at a 99 cent store. How is the quality of the Metawatch and Its functionality? Thanks.

Let me first say, I collect watches. So I'm biased. The meta is pretty cool. It is a little clunky, and the charging clip is weird. It looks like an 80's digital watch but it's super durable. With an iPhone the watch handles notifications for calls, SMS, and some other stuff. The functionality with android is a little better. I like that you can customize several different screens and pick and choose which widgets go on which screen and how big they are. Being able to look at my wrist to see the time, weather, and my calendar all at once is nice. I am constantly in situations where I feel it would be rude to look at my phone. I'm not all that old, in my late 20's, but I think it's rude to be on your phone in public or at a meeting. I love seeing the caller ID on my wrist- really helps me decide the urgency of the call and if I should excuse myself to take it or if it can wait for later.

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saladinos

Watches are basically the only wearable electronic device that ever caught on. That's because they provided some absolutely critical information (the time) that is by its nature glanceable information. Watches were the most efficient way to take the time with you - what alternatives where there to watches?

Even then, lots of people didn't like them because they were wearable - if you leave it on all day, your arm can get sweaty and uncomfortable, it catches on your shirt sleeves, doesn't match your outfit, is too difficult to put on and remove, whatever. Lots of people never liked watches.

I also doubt that having a hunk of Apple strapped to your wrist is "safer" than an iPhone in your pocket. Firstly, I don't think an iPhone particularly (as opposed to any other branded smartphone) makes you more likely to be attacked. iPhones are rather common these days, even amongst the plebs. Secondly, it'll be easy enough to spot the guy following his wrist rather than his phone. This wouldn't be announced in a vacuum - the day after this thing is announced most people on the planet will have heard of it.

Peeking your phone from out of your pocket and tapping the unlock button can in many situations be even more discreet than looking at your watch.

The case for having something like this is pretty weak IMO. It's definitely not the first time somebody's thought of a super-watch that could make video calls or browse the web or whatever: none of them have caught on. They've all had cool, futuristic, hyped-up receptions and then flopped once people saw the price, how stupid they look, and the excruciatingly thin value proposition.

Are you really trying to argue that watches never caught on? They have been a standard accessory/piece of jewlery for over a century. Yeah I'm a watch lover and maybe the watch is now on its downslope. But they certainly have been a favorite for a very long time and they will always be around. A nice watch is more than just a watch, it's something you can hand down to your son some day. A good watch ain't cheap. I admit in this case an apple watch could go either way. But watches in general? They aren't going anywhere.

Terrible idea. Fake rumor. The iPhone put the watch industry out of business. Nobody wears or cares about watches anymore, unless it's an old-school analog watch which makes a jewelry fashion statement. If Apple did stupidly come out with a watch, it would bomb big time, and prove that innovation at Apple died when Steve died.

"The iPhone put the watch industry out of business."

What an idiotic statement. Tell that to Casio, Citizen, Timex, Seiko...

Terrible idea. Fake rumor. The iPhone put the watch industry out of business. Nobody wears or cares about watches anymore, unless it's an old-school analog watch which makes a jewelry fashion statement. If Apple did stupidly come out with a watch, it would bomb big time, and prove that innovation at Apple died when Steve died.

I think it's a stretch to say the "iPhone" put the watch industry out of business.

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by everything-i

Yes, most people. At least most people I come into contact with.

It's certainly not in the younger age fashion world. The up and comings. 25 and younger.

Best post in this thread, and that's coming from someone that likes the idea of a smart watch. And for those saying that people no longer wear watches, I guarantee you most of them have one pair of jeans in their closets and no sense of fashion. Watches are more popular than they've ever been, at least with people that like to look good.

I wouldn't doubt that Apple is working on a smartwatch, but the rumor of an OLED screen seems odd for a couple reasons. OLED tech has been around for a while but Apple has seemingly stuck with traditional LCD tech (although much improved tech) and they seem to be working with Sharp on producing IGZO screens in quantity (if the recent supply chain rumors are to be believed). Also an OLED screen wouldn't be "always on" which is one of the huge advantages of a watch, I think any watch that requires a button press to see the time is kludgy. Third, OLEDs are notoriously crappy for outdoor viewing, you'd think a smartwatch would want to have a display with good outdoor viewability.

-kap

Indeed. Not being always on or easy to see outdoors would just further limit the market for such a device.

__________________

There is something deeply wrong with a society more offended by breasts than by entrails.Pebble SmartWatch | iPhone 5c | 11" Macbook Air '13 | HTPC | TV | Numerous Old Consoles

By the time you will ensure all component connectivity compliance and seamless data transmission with updates, new apps downloads, reading all information, hooking it up to a number of places depending on usage ....you will have no time left in a course of the day to do anything fun, anything life related. Lat more expensive, I opt for a good mechanical automatic mechanism from a swiss maker. Effectively it gives me a lot more time.

I'm a Pebble backer as well, but I don't fault the Pebble team for the delays. Their project went way beyond their initial goal (their target was $100,000 or about 1,000 watches...they raised over $10 million or over 100,000 watches).

Also, no, Apply could not produce a "better" product in just a couple of days. Apple would spend years designing and manufacturing.

You also have to give the Pebble team credit: we get regular updates on what is happening so that it's clear that work is moving forward. Sure, it would be great to know the ship date...but I don't want to see it stated and then missed. Better to be sure before committing.

If you read those "updates" like I do you realize that all their delays are due to trying to figure out their production lines. They knew what they wanted to make since day one (the designing part) but it has taking them forever to try to figure out everything in China. Weather they were planning on making 1,000 or 100,000, they would have still likely had to go to china so all this would still be taking this long.

I'm not blaming these guys, I'm sure they are working their butts off, but I stand by my statement that apple could make something better in a couple of days because they already have everything figured out, and if they design something like this they could pick up the phone and have a million units shipped in no time. Again I'm not blaming the pebble guys, more myself because I should have seen this coming, but still I wish this damn thing would have shipped before apple came out with one

I am amazed by the lack of imagination some people have, especially when they are people who follow technology. I had written an lengthy explanation of all the possible functions for a smart watch that is a part of the Apple ecosystem, but instead, I'll just put it this way: If you don't think that something like this http://www.tokyoflash.com/blog/2012/...-android-watch or this http://www.tokyoflash.com/blog/2012/...river/?lang=ja done Apple-style wouldn't fly off the shelves, then I guess we just have to agree to disagree.

I hope to god that there is even a KERNEL of truth to the rumor, because I've been hoping Apple would shock everyone with something like this for some time now, and I can't wait until they do.

I call BS. Nobody wants wearable electronics. They seem useful in most people's imagination, but in reality they're not extremely practical (especially since you need your phone with you anyway).

Yep, with Bluetooth and Siri, when well thought out and properly integrated, I believe there is a future for such devices. Can't count the times I've seen someone quickly trying to retrieve their phone from their pocket or purse only to drop it accidentally on the pavement/sidewalk whatever. One could leave their phone safely tucked away most of the time, when on the go, or in a public place. A watch-like device is faster, and simply more secure, not to mention safer from grab-and-dash thieves, and the possibilities for a watch-sized screen are too numerous to even think up right now. See also jmcrutch below.